Digger implement



Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

Ji -nee tiee newer, 61' meme, oiiib;

mrreimtivs Toiallwh'om it may: concern; I

Be it known that I'; J AMES WEBB? SifiFOLfi; a citizenloftherUnited States-,-. residing at Cleveland, in the cmnty of Guyahoga? and State of Ohio, have invented: certain new and useful Improvements in Digger Implemeets; of which the followingis aspecift cation. i r g H My invention" relates to improvements in" digger :impl'ementsythe present embodiment of? the? invention being. particularly designed. and adapted? for us e in'ithe removal of: noxions weeds or p'lantszfrom lawns-, gardens, and the like. t g

{Lheiimproved tootor implement is adapt ed not) only deeply.- penetrate the soil" a bout'the weed' or plant but to excavauce'nr remove the'1smroundi-ng'; soil: together withthe root-ofthe'iplant or weed and yet without leaving: any objectionable cavity at the pla cerem'ovedz Y. g 1 w TheJ Bih'ary" object of theinve'ntion i it provide a? .ene ally improved implement'of? thetype or ola'ssin'dicatedi which will. be ex p ceed'ingly simpleiin construction; cheap of manufacture and eflicient in use. Aifurtherr ohj ectis the-provision of". a tool of this classadmirahlyadafpted to the'qu'ick; and complete removal ofdeeply rooted" vveeds or ilants asfwell asone which may be readily" adjustedwith respect to the" earth:

\ penetrating: prongs or blades 1e meet vthe:

varying soil-aandi plant conditions-.5

' Withthe: ahovementioned and-otherends; in view; the invention." consists in r the novel construction," arrangement" and combination of parts; hereinafter described; iiliistrated in one of its embodiments in the accompany-L ingii drawings andxlparticularly pointed out iii the" appended claims." I

Refen'ing'to th -drawings,'formingza"part of this? specification} Figure I is" a sideaxele' vation v be tqohw. construeted: in" aecorda'nce with? this" invention," the partebeingshown' inithei'rretiactedmr initiaipds'ition preparetorytoipnetrating the" soilfor engaging and removing a plant therefrom: l L

Figl a2,- a" similar view showing the parts in their opposite or reverSe'd'rposit-ion pre paratory tolifting and'reniovingaf plant;

Fig. 3, a cross sectional view taken oh-line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar namin of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

1923:: sefmr No: 649 11 In general terms; the'impr'oved implement may {be said: td comprise relatively movable handles; one of which is pro-videcliwith mov able Hearth penetrating jaws or prongs op eratively connected t'o' a-ndactuated Ib v the other: g e

The improved tool 2 Q1" implement coinprises --a relatively fixed-handle 1, and a'rela tively movable-handle 2. As a" convenient" mean of: mounting and operating the" handles 1 and 2, the handle 1 is preferably: in' the specifie-foigm of axis-banor shatt'a'nd the handle-:2 in the spc'ificrfoi'm'of time rohndingitube oreleve;

As ar contren'ient" meansof moiinting and? operating the earth:.penetratingujlawe or: prongsher'ei11atter; referred ftogi and throilgh handleafl"preferablytetminatshtits top tel'" the/jaws, are"preferahlfy extended, in the form-0f actuating: arms on levers 13 The jaws drfprong's '3 maybe of anyisuitabie and; convenient form and 'ar'erpreferalfly taperecl' and pointed,: as indicated; 1 If. desired; the ialws may befprovided with separate blades 3?,1 01 such" jaws ma'y be formed tospifovid'e integral cutting: and excavating points. 5 i

As a convenient means (if act-liatingrthe jaws; of rongs through-the leversi 3"; the relativelylmovable' handle' or sleeve Qinay beprovide.d;lwith a -jaW aetuating andguid= ing head: 2 In thepres eiit instance the head 2 is provided with inclined oriwe'dged shaped-sides';2,-*to'coact with the inner sides of the jaw levers or armsfi V As" axconvenient'meaiis-ot'preventing:re1ative ydisplacemeiit' betweemthe head-2". and the :za'rms or: lvexs 3 eparticula1rly where the tool is given a twisting movement, the

sides 2 of the head are preferably provided changed.

with guide grooves or ways 2 within which the contacting portions of the arms are adapted to slide as the relatively movable handle 2 is reciprocated.

As a means of limiting the relative reciprocatory movement between the handles 1 and 2 and particularly of changing the stopping positions of the head 2 relative to the pivoted portions of the jaws and correspondingly changing the relative positions of the jaws when opened or closed, the handle 1 may be provided with a series of threaded openings 1 adapted to removably receive and contain a stop element or screw 1 adapted to operate in a guide slot 2 of the tubular handle or sleeve 2. It will be obvious that by changing the position of the stop element 1 in the openings 1 the length of the stroke of the parts and of their relative positions will be correspondingly As a means of returning the jaws to their initial positions when the movable or plunger handle 2 is retracted, as shown in F ig. 1 of the drawings, a coiled expansion spring 4: may be inserted between the jaws, as shown, it being obvious that the position of the spring may be changed and likewise the character thereof so long as the same acts to return the jaws to their original positions when the parts are retracted.

lVhen used as a digger implement the parts are moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and pressure is placed upon the cross bar 2*, moving the handle 2 and jaw actuating and guiding head 2" downwardly and relatively of the handle 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereupon the plant and the surrounding soil may be removed by holding the handles l and 2 in the position shown, or lifting up solely by the handle 1*, it being obvious that a reverse movement of the han-.

dles 1 and 2 will restore the parts to their initial position thereby discharging the plant, or if desired, the latter may be held in engaged position substantially as shown in Fig. 2 and reinserted in the soil (as in transplanting) and then moving the parts relatively from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1 and withdrawing the implement, leaving the plant in the soil.

While for the purpose of illustration and clearness of explanation I have shown two oppositely arranged earth penetrating jaws or prongs it will, of course, be obvious that the principles of this invention may be readily embodied in a tool embodying three or more jaws or prongs.

' Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention, without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be made, or all the modes of its use, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A plant digger, comprising plunger handles guided on each other, one of said handles having a cross head carrying pivoted longitudinally extending earth penetrating lever jaws and the other being in the form of a surrounding tube having a lever jaw actuating and guiding head closing said lever jaws when moved toward the pivoted portion thereof and opening the same when moved in a reverse direction.

2. In a plant digger including a handle bar provided at one end with longitudinally extending pivoted jaws and lever arms, a handle sleeve on said handle bar provided with a bearing head having inclined guide portions slidably connected to and operating said lever arms as reciprocated and adjustable means for limiting the movements of said handle sleeve and regulating'the opening and closing movements of said jaws through said lever arms.

3. A digger implement, comprising a handle bar carrying a pair of pivoted longitudinally extending radially movable lever jaws at one end and an operating cross handle at the other, and a plunger handle sleeve on said handle bar terminating in a head having oppositely arranged inclined guides engaging and' operating said lever jaws with the relative movement thereof, said handle sleeve terminating in a cross handle in close proximity to said cross handle of said handle bar.

41. In a plant digger, a handle shaft terminating at one end in a bearing head and at the other in a cross bar, digger aws pivoted on said bearing head and provided with lever arms extending at the sides of said handle shaft, a handle sleeve on said handle bar provided with a guide head having guides interposed between and adapted to actuate said lever arms of said jaws as reciprocated, and means between said handle bar and handle sleeve for limiting the movements thereof.

5. In a plant digger, a handle shaft terminating at one end in a bearing head and at the other in a cross bar, digger jaws pivoted on said bearing head and projecting in front of the latter, said jaws being provided with lever arms extending along said handle shaft,

a tubular handle slidable on said handle bar and provided with a guide head having guides having a slidable inclined connection between and actuating said arms of said jaws as reciprocated.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JAMES l/VEBB SAFFOLD. 

